The Blood Rite

Chapter Two

An eerie silence fell over the group as Beau slowed. With exaggeration, he reclined in his seat and flung a casual arm over the seat behind Catgirl, who was leaning against dixie chick.

Goosebumps rose on Ruby's arms. All around them were pitch dark trees. Those woods are thick, she thought. Anybody could be hiding in the shadows, waiting to scare them. Nothing would happen, she determined. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she nodded to herself and promised to be brave.

Beau started fiddling with his phone and, finding whatever he'd been looking for, turned up the stereo to play Monster Mash.

"Come on," Lexi groaned.

"That is so lame," Catgirl added.

"I think it fits the mood," Beau said, "what do you think, boys?"

"Oh yeah. Maybe we'll see that ghost chick boogie-ing to it," Rex said. Lexi nudged him in the side with a laugh.

All sense of humor was lost on Ruby. She was now completely sober and saw the road with sharpened clarity. Her crimson nails, which had been filed into sharp stilettos, scraped against the window button. She wanted Beau to put the roof back on and for all the windows to roll up. Though she knew she'd been laughed out of the country if she admitted that outloud.

But it wasn't ghosts or demons she was scared of. It was the stories of kids just like them being forced off of the road and then kidnapped. Taken to God-knows where. Ruby didn't want to know. Her fists furled and unfurled in her rising anxiety. They were the perfect target, just a bunch of drunk and niave twenty-somethings looking for a thrill.

Despite the chatter in the car and Beau's cheesy Halloween music, the road was silent.

She heard the stretch of leather as Talon leaned over Rex and Lexi, who were talking amongst themselves, to say, "If Beau passes out, I call dibs on taking his car."

"Then I call dibs on the car keys," Ruby said, a challenging grin on her face.

Talon's tan skin stretched with his own smile. "As if I was going to leave you behind."

She rolled her eyes, "Not even for Jessica?" She asked mockingly, drawing out the girl's name.

"Who?"

Ruby shoved him and he caught her hand with a laugh. For a second her gaze settled on the contrast of his naturally bronze skin against her tan. As if he'd absorbed the sun itself his touch was hot and sent even warmer sensations through her core.

Catching herself, she tore from his grip but Talon wasn't paying attention anymore as he talked with Rex. With a sigh, Lexi laid her head on Ruby's shoulder, the latter patting the girl's head with her own sigh.

"Nothing is even happening," Lexi grumbled. Catgirl sent back a displeased look before saying something to Beau.

"Oh, are you bored?" He asked. Before anyone could respond, the headlights went out.

A crowd of cries rose up. Ruby shot forward, "Hey!" She yelled, "Turn the lights back on!"

Beau only laughed, ignoring their alarm, "Chill out, girl."

   "She's right, Beau," Talon said firmly. Ruby felt a twinge of surprise as she looked at him. Cast in the faint glow of the moonlight his expression was hard. She wasn't sure of the last time she'd seen him so serious. Was it when David had tried to lay one on her without her permission, or when a football player from their rival school had shoved him? Ruby shook her head and the thoughts away. Highschool felt like a million years ago.

The darkness was crowding in on them and she felt it like a living thing as it whipped her hair back with its violent winds. Beau didn't turn on the lights, even as they begged him to. No, instead he hooted and stepped harder on the gas. Lexi's nails dug into Ruby's arm. There were panicked shouts.

Everything that happened after felt surreal.

"Slow down!" Rex called.

Catgirl was tugging on Beau's shoulder, "Please!" She cried, "Please!"

Beau wasn't listening. His knuckles tightened on the wheel and he pressed down harder on the gas, "Come at me now, ghosts!"

"This isn't funny!" Lexi said. Her words were lost in the wind before they could reach him.

Everyone semmed to realize then that he wasn't going to stop and a moment of terror filled silence took over them. Ruby clung to Lexi who now clung to Rex. The air whipped past their ears, mimicking screams. For a moment, she believed that the car was shaking and panicked. But it was only her.

Talon shot her a quick glance. Time felt like it froze with that glance as Ruby had read all of the fear and anger in it. The love and determination. Suddenly she was back at Crier's Creek, nearly ten feet in the air with him right beside her.

Then time was rocketing forward with horrifying speed and Talon was lunging over the seat towards Beau where they wrestled to turn on the lights. The car swerved. Catgirl screamed.

"Let go!" Beau barked.

"Turn on the lights!" Talon said.

The catgirl cried, "You are going to kill us!"

"Stop freaking out!" Beau said, now angry. He was more inebriated than Ruby had known.

Like a bucket of ice water, cold rushed through her. They were going to die. Her eyes shot to Talon standing up in his seat. If Beau shoved too hard he would fall out.

Ruby jumped forward to grab Talon's arm, ready to yank him back and hold him close until it was all over, when she saw Catgirl.

The girl's eyes were squinted as she peered through the windshield, "What is-" she sucked in a sharp, high-whistled breath and her eyes flew wide.

Ruby never got to hear what the girl cried as the car slammed into something as hard as stone.

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